Struggling With Pull-Ups? STOP Relying On Banded Pull-Ups! 😲😲

Have you been relying on band assisted pull-ups, and the second you attempt to do unassisted pull-ups they seem impossible?

I know this is something COUNTLESS people can relate to!

To be clear, banded pull-ups are not a bad exercise.

However:

The band provides the assistance at the wrong time for most people. So you won’t get past your sticking point!

The band assistance makes it much easier to get sloppy with your form and disregard generating tension, and maintaining pull-up specific body positioning.

Before using band assisted pull-ups, there are other exercises I recommend mastering first. These exercises teach key fundamentals you’ll need to excel at pull-ups, and will also help you get more out of band assisted pull-ups when you progress to doing them.

Over the years, COUNTLESS clients, and people who are following my Ultimate Pull-Up Program, have had MAJOR lightbulb moments when they stopped ONLY doing banded pull-ups and started incorporating the exercises I’m about to share with you.

If you are looking for a very comprehensive full body pull-up program that has helped THOUSANDS of people of all genders in over 92 countries achieve their first pull-up, improve current PR’s, improve form, and/or learn more advanced pull-ups (all while focusing on the full body), check out my Ultimate Pull-Up Program.

Here are 5 exercises I recommend learning BEFORE introducing band assisted pull-ups.

#1) Active Hangs (Basic Hangs)

This exercise improves grip, shoulder and scapular stability, and lumbo-pelvic stability. If you are brand new to learning pull-ups, I recommend starting out with these.

Coaching Tips:

Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart. You can also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing one another. Use a grip (and width) that works and feels best for you.

Your body should be in a relatively straight line from your head to feet (or in a slight hollow body position). Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

You may cross one foot over the other, or you may keep your feet side by side. I find when people are newer to pull-ups, crossing one foot over the other makes learning the exercise easier as it helps them keep their lower body in a more rigid and stable position. If you do not have the option of fully extending your legs, keep your knees bent/feet behind you, cross one foot over the other, and contract your glutes and hamstrings.

Before you go, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), extend your knees, and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and draw each shoulder blade in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip (retract, depress, and downwardly rotate). When you do your body should elevate a slight amount.

Do not allow your elbows to bend/”pull.”

Hold for the target amount of time.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders or shoulder blades to elevate towards your ears, or shoulders to roll forward.

For the duration of the exercise, maintain the pull-up specific body positioning. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of a 5-30 second hold

#2) Scapula Pull-Ups (bent knee option)

This exercise teaches you how to use your shoulder blades properly during pull-ups. When many people perform pull-ups they overuse their arms, and do not use the muscles in their mid and upper back. Many people also keep their shoulder blades pinned, and fail to control the movement of their shoulder blades. This will negatively impact performance.

Coaching Tips:

Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart. You can also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing one another. Use a grip (and width) that works and feels best for you.

Your body should be in a relatively straight line from your head to feet (or in a slight hollow body position). Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.

You may cross one foot over the other, or you may keep your feet side by side. I find when people are newer to pull-ups, crossing one foot over the other makes learning the exercise easier as it helps them keep their lower body in a more rigid and stable position. If you do not have the option of fully extending your legs, keep your knees bent/feet behind you, cross one foot over the other, and contract your glutes and hamstrings.

Before you go, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), extend your knees, and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and draw each shoulder blade in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip (retract, depress, and downwardly rotate). When you do your body should elevate a slight amount.

Do not allow your elbows to bend/”pull.”

Hold for a count in the top position, then lower to the starting position with control.

When you are lowering your shoulder blades should perform the opposite movements and should spread apart and move away from the spine, and away from the opposite hip (protract, elevate, and upwardly rotate).

Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. Lower in a single fluid movement. The lowering shouldn’t be jerky.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to excessively elevate towards your ears, or roll forward.

For the duration of the exercise, maintain the pull-up specific body positioning. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps

#3) Eccentric Only Pull-Ups

This exercise teaches you how to perform the lowering component of the pull-up.

Stand on a bench or box so your chin is already at (or close to) the height of the bar, or if you are already able to, you can jump from the floor and pull yourself up the rest of the way.

Coaching Tips:

Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart. You can also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing one another. Use a grip (and width) that works and feels best for you.

When you are in the top position (or as you are jumping up if you are required to jump), set your body position as quickly as you can. Your body should be in a relatively straight line from your head to feet (or in a slight hollow body position). Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.

You may cross one foot over the other, or you may keep your feet side by side. I find when people are newer to pull-ups, crossing one foot over the other makes learning the exercise easier as it helps them keep their lower body in a more rigid and stable position. If you do not have the option of fully extending your legs, keep your knees bent/feet behind you, cross one foot over the other, and contract your glutes and hamstrings.

As you are jumping, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), extend your knees, and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

Get to the top position by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and draw each shoulder blade in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip (retract, depress, and downwardly rotate), and drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards the floor.

In the top position, your elbows should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso. Do not allow your elbows to flare out.

Now, take 3-5 seconds and lower to the starting position with control.

When you are lowering your shoulder blades should perform the opposite movements and should spread apart and move away from the spine, and away from the opposite hip (protract, elevate, and upwardly rotate).

Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. Lower in a single fluid movement. The lowering shouldn’t be jerky.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to excessively elevate towards your ears, or roll forward.

For the duration of the exercise, maintain the pull-up specific body positioning. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 2-5 reps

pull-up progression pull-up for getting your first pull-up

SAVE $37 – Get a package of The Ultimate Pull-Up Program and The Ultimate Lower Body And Core Program for $157. Both programs regularly cost $97 each, so you save $37.

LEARN MORE

#4) Concentric Hang

This exercise teaches you how to perform the top component of the pull-up.

Stand on a bench or box so your chin is already at (or close to) the height of the bar, or if you are already able to, you can jump from the floor and pull yourself up the rest of the way.

Coaching Tips:

Stand on a bench or box so your chin is already at (or close to) the height of the bar, or if you are already able to, you can jump from the floor and pull yourself up the rest of the way.

Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart. You can also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing one another. Use a grip (and width) that works and feels best for you.

When you are in the top position (or as you are jumping up if you are required to jump), set your body position as quickly as you can. Your body should be in a relatively straight line from your head to feet (or in a slight hollow body position). Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.

You may cross one foot over the other, or you may keep your feet side by side. I find when people are newer to pull-ups, crossing one foot over the other makes learning the exercise easier as it helps them keep their lower body in a more rigid and stable position. If you do not have the option of fully extending your legs, keep your knees bent/feet behind you, cross one foot over the other, and contract your glutes and hamstrings.

As you are jumping, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), extend your knees, and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

Get to the top position by using the muscles in your mid and upper back, and draw each shoulder blade in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip (retract, depress, and downwardly rotate), and drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards the floor.

In the top position, your elbows should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso. Do not allow your elbows to flare out.

Hold for the target amount of time.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to elevate towards your ears, or roll forward.

For the duration of the exercise, maintain the pull-up specific body positioning. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and contract your glutes and quadriceps.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of a 5-30 second hold

For both exercises #3 and #4, you can start standing on a box/bench so you don’t have to jump up to the bar (if you have this option).

#5) Inverted Rows

This exercise strengthens the muscles in the mid and upper back, improves shoulder and scapular stability, and lumbo-pelvic stability.

You may use rings, a TRX, bar, rope, etc. Modify the exercise by keeping your feet on the floor. You can further progress this exercise by keeping your body in a straight line from your head to feet.

Coaching Tips:

Adopt your preferred grip and hand width.

Set your body so it is in a relatively straight line from the top/back of your head to hips (or feet if you are doing long lever rows).

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.

Perform a row. Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back and draw your shoulder blades in towards your spine and down towards your opposite hip, and simultaneously drive your elbows in towards your sides and down towards the ground.

In the top position, do not allow your elbows to flare out. They should remain at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso.

Return to the starting position with control. Your shoulder blades should perform the reverse movements as they did during the rowing component. Think about moving your shoulder blades away from your spine, around your ribcage, and away from your opposite hip.

In the starting position, your elbows should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps

Band Assisted Pull-Ups

After you’ve mastered the above exercises, band assisted pull-ups can be a helpful exercise for building up your pull-up volume, and continuing to work on pulling strength and technique.

The exercises I’ve shared above teach key fundamentals of the pull-up, and will help you get more out of band assisted pull-ups when you progress to doing them.

When you do band assisted pull-ups, use as little assistance as possible, but enough so you are able to maintain proper form for 100% of the set, and for your target rep range.

Be extra mindful that you maintain the pull-up specific body position I discussed above, and that you maintain sufficient tension around your torso, spine, hips, and in your lower body. Using the band makes it easy to get sloppy.

Barring the rare exception, I have my clients (and people who follow my Ultimate Pull-Up Program) learn these before introducing band assisted pull-ups (when newer to pull-ups).

To be clear, I’m not saying my way is the ONLY way, but it’s worked well for thousands of people from all around the world.

SAVE $37 – Get a package of The Ultimate Pull-Up Program and The Ultimate Hip Flexor And Core Guide for $157. Both programs regularly cost $97 each, so you save $37.

LEARN MORE